Last  month, we decided to take a little weekend trip to the Pyrenees.  We used the occasion to visit the Principality of Andorra for a couple days, then head home and stop for a visit at the medieval French town of Caracassonne.

 

A little history about Andorra.  It’s a principality, but unlike Monaco, there is no ruling prince in Andorra.  It is a task jointly managed by the President of the French Republic and the Bishop of Urgell in Spain.  Interestingly, that makes the French President the only elected monarch who is not elected by popular vote of those he rules.

 

When I mentioned Andorra to some of my French friends, their common question was “what are you going to buy?” Andorra gained wealth as a tax haven and tourism was spurred by tax-free (and consequently less expensive) goods.  Although we ended up buying a couple little things, we didn’t particularly care for the commercialism that was ubiquitous in the capital city where we stayed, Andorra la Vella.  Nonetheless, the tasty food and beautiful mountain vistas made up for a lack of commercial appeal.

 

Andorra

This is the view from the balcony of our room.

 

 

Of course, we wanted to go for a hike and experience the natural beauty for ourselves.

 

 

Alexander was having fun in the backpack.

 

He loved checking out the mountains and enjoying the fresh air.  He even managed a little nap on the hike back.

I stopped and used my neutral density filters to try and capture the freshly melted snow and numerous waterfalls.

 

 

X was having a good time.

 

OK, he could use a little lip moisturizer.  The mountain air was rather dry.

 

Anna and X were in the light at the end of the tunnel.  Well, now reality matches my psyche.

Here is the mountain trail and tunnel we went through, plus a good use of photovoltaic cells.

More water falls with lots of soft moss covering the stones.

In order to capture these images, I had to scramble up a steep, icy slope, then stuck the tripod and my shoes (fortunately, with gore-tex) in the middle to the stream to try and capture the image.  It doesn’t make the picture any better, but the effort certainly makes me appreciate the images more!

You can see how the snow was still adding to the water supply.

Looking downstream (and also where I climbed up).

Here is a view of the capital city, Andorra la Vella.  It has a population of around 25,000, with the total population of the country about 85,000 people.  This tiny country hosts over 10,000,000 visitors each year.  Fortunately for us, we didn’t see nearly that many in the mountains.

 

Carcassonne

Once we finally made it out of the mountains (it was a long and very windy road), we were greeted by the magnificent medieval town of Carcassonne.  The walled city is also the setting of the very popular eponymous board game (which we purchased after we got home).

 

The cité was first built around 100BCE by the Romans, but then often upgraded though the centuries.  Unfortunately, it fell into severe disrepair and was scheduled for demolition in the mid-19th century.  However, because of apparent public outcry, an architect (Violett Le-Duc) was called in to execute a massive restoration.  Although it’s an awe-inspiring work, it’s not likely how it looked in antiquity.  For example, the tall pointed roofs on the towers were a nice touch, but probably originally flat or low angled.

Looks like a nice place for a lunch.  Or maybe a small lecture for 4 students.

One if the restored towers, up close.

The workshop.

Alexander was having fun here as well.  It seems he likes traveling … a very good thing for his parents.

The impressive stained glass in the church.  Notice the bottom.  A blond Jesus… yeah…

Typical little restaurant in the cité.

 

 

Well, that covers our little weekend outing.

 

Until the next adventure … a few images from my trip to Paris, followed by the cruise from last week.

 

Until then.

 

–Jim

These are the images from my parents’ and sister’s visit back in February.  It was a week-long visit, and if you know my family that means thousands of images.  🙂  We have pared it down to 55, but I’m including them all in a single post.  In order to break it up, I’ve identified the main destinations and three days of traveling we did. Also, the images are a mix of mine, my mother’s and sister’s.  Unfortunately Mike (Julie’s husband … the precision is necessary since there are so many Mikes in the family) wasn’t able to make the trip.  The poor guy had to stay home and work.  He was kind enough to send music as a present, so we thought of him often.

On a different note, I am going to use this post to return to my old format of citing the images from above.  I think it’s a little more logical way to present the story.  I hope it’s seamless for you, the reader.

Ok, off we go…

Aix-en-Provence:

This is Anna buying some mimosa flowers.  They are typical of the region and very pretty.  There is one city nearby (Bormes-les-Mimosa) that has so many flowering mimosas that they have a festival each spring.

Anna, Alexander and I walking down one of the streets in central Aix.

More mimosa … a very interesting genus of plants.  Like the Venus Fly Trap, certain species of mimosa are able to rapidly fold their leaves.

Mom and Dad Gingras (AKA Nani and Papi) in front of the La Rotunde fountain in Aix.

Papi and X playing on the couch.

Julie and I buying some fresh vegetables at the Pelissanne market.

The three generations of Gingras males.

Anna and Julie.

Although very cute, Alexander isn’t a big fan of his shades.

Nani and X about to get in the car for our first big loop with everyone.

Provence to the West – Nîmes, Aigues-Mortes, and Arles:

This is the magnificent Roman building called the Maison Carrée.  It was the center of the Roman Forum of Nîmes and built about 16 BCE.

As you can see, it’s sitting on a raised pedestal of 2.85m.  The building has been used for various functions throughout the centuries.  Once Christianity became the state religion of Rome, the Maison Carrée was converted to a Christian Church, which likely saved it from destruction. In 1785 when Thomas Jefferson was the US Minister (Ambassador) to France, he had a model made, which presumably influenced his later design of the Virginia State Capitol.  Shortly after, when churches became state property during the French Revolution, it housed the revolutionary government’s horses.  Since 1824 it’s been a museum.  Unfortunately, today there are no decorations from antiquity.

Fortunately, we can admire the exterior and marvel at the history that this building has been witness to.

X and I hanging out on the portico.

We also visited the other immense Roman building … the amphitheater.  If you’d like more images of the outside and little of its history, here’s my earlier post:  Nîmes Part 1

I love Europe’s acceptance of parental responsibility.  Here, there is an open ledge, which the sign very aptly describes.

Julie on top of stadium.

X and I enjoying the view.

For lunch, we followed a recommendation by the Michelin Guide which was (as expected) delightful.  Then over to the Temple of Diana (Temple de Diane) from about the same era as the other Roman sites … second century of the current era.  Unfortunately, my images weren’t very good, so they didn’t make the cut.  But, if you’re interested in visiting, its Roman arches were definitely the highlight for me.

This canal cuts right in front of the garden and temple.

Next, we drove down to Aigues-Mortes (literally Dead Waters).  As you can see, it is another ancient city.  It’s origins are a bit murky, but at the latest, it was built in the 10th century CE.  Although it’s not quite on the sea, it was re-built as a port city by King Louis IX (AKA, Saint Louis) in the 13th century.  It was from Aigues-Mortes that he launched the 7th and 8th crusades, two of the countless ignominious acts in the name of religion.

Nani and Julie in front of the Constance Tower built in 1248.

Nani and Papi.

The colorful candy stores La Cure Gourmand are becoming ubiquitous in French cities.

Nani was loving it.

All the piles of delicious candy … a child’s dream.  Well, at least Alexander’s dream!

Vestige of the city’s medieval past.

We finished our whirlwind western tour with a quick walking tour of Arles.  Since Vincent Van Gogh spent some of his brief career in Arles, we decided to focus on his art.  This image is the basis for Van Gogh’s The Café Terrace.  It was the first in a trilogy of (perhaps) his most famous paintings … all featuring a starry night sky.  Although he painted his image in 1888, the café looks identical to is painted self.  Of course, that’s because in 1990 it was refurbished to look exactly like the painting.  Consequently, about the only people we’ve even seen there are tourists.  Nonetheless, it’s still nice for a coffee.

Here we are at Café Van Gogh.

Anna and X enjoying the night sky over the Rhône (minus stars).

Provence to the North – Gordes, Sault, Mont Ventoux, Baumes de Venise and Châteauneuf-du-Pape:

Here is the very quaint village of Gordes.  Although we’ve visited a few times before, this was the first with a shroud of mist.

Papi and his kids.

Nani and Papi.

We also stopped back in Roussillon for the ochre and a lunch break.  Alex liked having a whole bowl of pasta to himself.  His mom liked having a piece of pasta on his head.

This is the view of Sault before the lavender is in bloom. We are planning a return trip in July to see it in all it’s purple splendor.

Our trek up the Mont Ventoux was stopped by the still present snow.  So, we got out and had a (little) snowball fight.

Ok, so I don’t have images of Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Baumes de Venise … mostly that’s because we went for the wine tasting, not the sights.  So, suffice it to say we have some great bottles, but no images.

Provence to the East – Menton, Monaco, Nice and Grasse

We started our longest day (at least in terms of driving) with a visit to the Lemon Festival held in Menton, France (near the Italian border).  They used millions of lemons and oranges in their celebration.  There are parades with the floats made from fruit (think Rose Parade), in both the day and night.  Apparently, it’s quite a sight to behold, but since we were only there during the day, we were limited to the static display which was also impressive … if slightly campy.

Some of the oranges spared from use in the festival.

Lemons not spared … but here you can see how they attach the fruit and why they use a huge number of rubber bands as well.

This was my personal favorite display … at nearly life size.

The seller was watching Julie like a hawk.  Of course, it was because I asked Julie to go back and check out the fruit, without telling her the cultural taboo against touching the merchandise.  Oops.  Sorry, Jewls.  But, it’s a pretty image, right?

Hanging out and checking out some transformed fruit.

Sweet oranges for sale, in case the need to eat the display strikes.

The fam by the sea … less Julie, who’s taking the picture.

After we had our fill of fruit, we drove along the sea to Monaco for a great lunch in the harbor.

Not too bad.

I wouldn’t mind one of these boats.  Ok, I guess they’re more accurately ships.

Then another drive along the sea, through Nice and up to the “Perfume Capital of the World,” Grasse.  We managed to catch the last tour of the Fragonard factory to see how the perfume is made.  Unfortunately for the grandparents and Julie, it was in French. Nonetheless, it was interesting (so they told me).  After we had the “opportunity” to buy some of their products.  Although expensive, they are worth it.  Anna smells great … almost all the time.

After our frantic tours of Provence, we returned home to enjoy a little Alex time before everyone left at o’ dark thirty the next day.

Alex loves his pool, er, bathtub.  It’s one of his favorite times of day.

OK, so that covers the (partial) family visit to the farthest reaches of Provence (and a little into Languedoc-Roussillon).  It was great to have everyone here.

Up next will be more images of Aix, Andorra, Carcassonne, Paris, and our latest trip … another Mediterraen cruise to Italy, Sicily, and Spain.

So, until the next adventure…

–Jim